


Unexpected Homecoming

by TheSecondBatgirl



Series: Unexpected Verse [7]
Category: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Power Rangers Dino Thunder, Power Rangers Zeo
Genre: F/M, M/M, post-Once a Ranger
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-18
Updated: 2011-04-18
Packaged: 2017-10-18 08:16:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/186833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSecondBatgirl/pseuds/TheSecondBatgirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's no place like home.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unexpected Homecoming

Billy put down his interstellar text communications device, reading the updates that his friends had sent him. It had been nearly a decade since he had left Earth to join Cestria on Aquitar, but somehow it still didn't feel quite like home. He had been growing increasingly reliant on the messages from his friends on Earth. Most of them were very good at communicating with him. Between the messages that came from Aisha and Kimberly, it was almost like Billy was still there with them, sitting in the youth center and dissecting the latest updates on both their social lives and the various monsters that had been sent down to attack them.

Almost, but not quite.

He still missed actually being there, the ability to casually sling an arm about one of his friends, the hugs or clap on the back that he would get from them as soon as he walked into the room. He missed _touch_. He missed hearing the sounds of their voices - it was a lot harder to get audio communication after the death of Zordon. Little things, like Kim's laughter, or Trini's gentle smile, or that knowing look that Adam would get when he'd managed to translate Billy's explanation. He just missed the silent camaraderie of his friends, when they would sit back and relax after a long day of fighting monsters.

It wasn't that he couldn't get those things on Aquitar. It was just that everything was slightly different, slightly off. He'd kept trying to convince himself that he would adjust, that it would take him a little bit of time, and that it wasn't like he was all that useful back on Earth anyway. Here, he was learning things that no other human had ever known. That had to make up for what he had left behind.

His communicator beeped again, this time the visual one. It took a lot of power for a message to get through, so if someone was actually risking it, there must have been some sort of emergency.

"Billy here," he said, and blinked as he recognized Hayley. He had never met Tommy's best friend in person, but he had enjoyed speaking with her ever since she had stumbled upon their secret. It was rare enough that he was able to speak to someone on his own wavelength, and even rarer for that person to be a civilian. Tommy had arranged for the call as soon as Hayley had discovered the secret, as Tommy had been unable to explain some of the more technical aspects of the Zords and communication systems. They had struck up a quick friendship, the sort of thing Billy hadn't had since his days as a Ranger.

"Hey," Hayley said cheerfully. "Thought I'd fill you in on the news."

"If this is about Adam and Kira, Kimberly and Aisha have already sent me a multitude of updates."

"And Tommy and Conner, I'm sure," Hayley added. Billy hadn't known about that, but he just nodded. "Actually, I called about a job opportunity."

"I have a job on Aquitar," Billy reminded her.

"Yeah, but you've been thinking about coming home for a while," Hayley pointed out. "At least that's what it sounds like - every time we talk it's all about how the others are doing, and what sort of things are going on here. You haven't sounded very happy, so we started looking for a way to get you home."

"I don't think that my credentials will transfer to an Earth location."

"This will," Hayley promised. "NASADA is looking for someone. I figure if Angela, Andros and I all vouch for you, the fact that you don't have an Earth degree won't matter at all. You could come home, Billy. We miss you. And you know, this long distance thing is a pain."

Billy blinked. Working for NASADA had been his dream when he was younger. He had done much more on Aquitar, but he still didn't want to turn down the opportunity. Hayley had understood that his lack of credentials on Earth was one of the things keeping him on Aquitar - he hated being useless, and without a degree on Earth, he feared that this would be what he would become.

"I think I might take you up on this," he said slowly. "I will begin to make my arrangements with Delphine and Cestro."

"Great," Hayley told him. "And as soon as you get back, we'll go out for dinner."

Billy smiled at her. "I'd like that," he agreed, before cutting off the communication. He had a lot of preparations to make.


End file.
